"Happiness and Prosperity Come from Overcoming Fear"

Although I'm not totally unplugged from what's going on in the world, I now function with much less information. You see, I've made a conscious choice this past summer to stop watching cable talk shows and reading several weekly magazines. I have to admit that I was an information junkie and could sit for hours as pundits and commentators argued back and forth. I got to a point when I just didn’t like what all of this "information" was doing to my mindset. Rather than helping me to make decisions that could improve my life and that of my family, all the bad news made me nervous and fearful. When I focused so much on bad news it tended to affect everything else in my life. I’m still an informed person, but I now focus on news that not only informs but also inspires me.

Remember, that media companies are only interested in one thing---money in the form of advertising dollars. The more people who watch their news programs or read their publications, the more they charge their advertisers. Competition is fierce, so media companies will do almost anything to get your attention. It used to be "If it bleeds, it leads." Now it appears that fear—about the economy, the war, terrorists or contagious diseases has become the best way to keep people coming back for more since they are "fearful" of missing something important.

You see there's a lot of hype out there, and it's all plugging in to the "collective fear." When you're fearful, you cannot be happy, much less prosperous—regardless of your income. Why? Because abundance starts in your mind. When you are in fear-mode, you are acting from a place of scarcity—"I don’t have enough," or "I might lose the little that I have." You’re white knuckling everyday "just trying to make it," instead of using your considerable talents and energies to thrive. Fear based thinking will not allow you to see or create opportunities for yourself that will result in MORE of everything—TIME, LOVE or MONEY.

This has been a year of enormous growth for me. The motherhood anthology that I edited is being published in a few months and with any new book, you are always concerned about how the public will receive it. I've also spent a a chunk of change to upgrade my business so that I could better serve the women who come to me. I did have some reservations about spending the money, but then I remembered an an old saying, "Scared money, don't make money." After unpacking my fears I realized that the more help and value that I can provide the more that I will be rewarded financially and spiritually. The only way to start that process was to write some checks.

Listen, I get that fear is a major emotion. It's easy to get sucked in. I know a few people right now who are gripped with fear. They're holding their money so tight that they’ve even stopped buying a cup of coffee at Starbucks. They are absolutely miserable. And you know what? They are focusing on the cost of a latte instead of the important steps that they should be taking to improve their lives and finances in this new economy.

Webster's New World Dictionary defines fear as: anxiety, caused by real or possible danger. There are times when fear serves a real purpose like helping us to avoid physical harm or danger. We should be fearful of a hot stove or an out of control car. However the fear that stop us from living our best lives is detrimental. Maybe a better definition of fear is: False Expectations Appearing Real.

Here’s the problem: false expectations and perceived danger. We tend to experience fear in our lives when we take risks and step out of comfort zone into unfamiliar territory. Fear actually can help us to grow, if we see it as an opportunity to expand our lives by building more confidence, trust and faith in ourselves, decisions and abilities.

Playing it safe will net you more of the same mediocre results. To have a larger, more fulfilling and more abundant life, you have to realize the value of fear and make it your friend. Some of us afraid to do anything new. We hold on to relationships that no longer serve us, stay in low-paying, unfulfilling jobs and refuse to interact with people different than ourselves. When your fear isn’t signaling REAL danger it means you are experiencing a chance to grow.

When you get scared and fear shows up, here are some questions that you can ask yourself that will help you determine whether your fear is real or imagined.

- "Can this perceived danger cause me harm?"
- "What is worst thing that could happen to me?"
- "Is there something I can do to protect myself?"
- "Will I be able to handle whatever comes up?" The answer for me is always YES.

More often than not, once we unpack our fears we realize that our doom scenario is either manageable or a just big fat figment of our imaginations.

I’ve found that I can get out of fear by focusing on what's going well. Be in gratitude for what you DO have. Start making a list of even the smallest things—having a warm winter coat, a roof over your head, food on your table, your full mental capacities, your eyesight (even if you wear glasses). Add your family and/or good friends. If you have a working car or the money to get on a public transformation bus or train, be grateful for that. Fear frequently focuses on what we think we lack. Of course what we lack, whether it’s money, education, connections, good looks, etc. is exactly what we THINK we need to have a better life. Even if your current circumstances are modest, by focusing on what you "have" you'll come to understand that you already possess many of things you need to improve your life—emotionally, spiritually and financially.

This week consider where fear might be keeping you stuck in your life. Once you conquer your inner fear, you will be ready to create a new and exciting life move full of love, joy and prosperity.

If fear is keeping you stuck and unfulfilled then check out my VIP Coaching Day (see below) to get you unstuck and on the road to experiencing a happier, more harmonious and abundant life.

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